The crucial recognition came after the July 1991 Brijuni agreement, which ended the ten-day war in Slovenia and was the first international agreement between Slovenia and the European Community. 

The integration of Slovenia into the international community was followed by recognitions from across the globe and in May Slovenia was already admitted to the UN.

The first to recognise Slovenia, on 26 June 1991, was neighbouring Croatia, which declared independence on the same day. Some of the former Soviet states followed in the second half of the year.

Iceland, Sweden and Germany recognised Slovenia on 19 December 1991, with Sweden and Germany's recognition taking effect on 15 January the next year.

The first overseas countries to recognise Slovenia were Canada and Australia on 15 and 16 January 1992, respectively.

Russia said yes on 14 February, while the US, which was initially very reserved about Slovenia's independence, followed on 7 April 1992.

The anniversary was marked on Friday with a high-profile panel discussion, whose participants agreed that Slovenia's independence and international recognition were a well-timed success.

Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec said Slovenia's journey had been "long and successful", while the head of the European Commission Representation Zoran Stančič conveyed the message from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who labelled Slovenia a young but mature country with challenges ahead.

Slovenia's first President Milan Kučan, first PM Lojze Peterle and first Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel also presented their views. While they are all happy with independence, none of them is happy with where Slovenia is today.

Peterle believes things would be different if Slovenians fully embraced the principles and values to which they committed 25 years ago.

This was echoed by Kučan, who said that just like in the EU, a retrograde process was under way in Slovenia, because the values and principles that had been set at the beginning had been abandoned.

Rupel was concerned that Slovenia lagged behind countries that used to lag behind Slovenia, while Peterle found it worrying that young people were leaving the country, often due to the state of mind in Slovenia.

The discussion was followed by the launch of a documentary exhibition on the 25th anniversary of the recognition of Slovenia's independence by the European Community and the majority of today's EU members.